Illusions in Las Vegas
by DelphieKat
Summary: Jack and Sue are undercover in Las Vegas to investigate a money laundering operation. What does Sin City have in store for our favourite couple?
1. Chapter 1

**Illusions in Las Vegas**

**Author:** DelphieKat

**Email and Website:** Please check my profile

**Rating:** PG-13

**Classification:** Investigation / Drama

**Spoilers:** _The Newlywed Game_ and _The Gambler_

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the characters, they belong to PAX and PebbleHut Production. I just borrowed them for my own entertainment – and yours too, I hope.

**Summary:** Jack and Sue are undercover in Las Vegas to investigate a money laundering operation.

**Author's Notes:** Many thanks to my beta, Aerogirl. As always, you're amazing.

Please, let me know what you think. Feedback is always welcome!

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**oOo**

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"After you, Darling," Jack offered, as he stepped ahead of Sue to hold the elevator doors for her.

"Thank you, Honey," she replied with a wry smile. "Always a gentleman… Sweetheart."

Jack bent his head to hide his grin and mentally braced for the next round. "That's just me, Babe."

She smacked him hard on the arm. "Babe? Sounds like you picked me up in a bar. You better find something else, Sparky."

"Hey, remember," Jack countered, entering the bullpen, "we did meet in a bar, with the help of a few friends. You've already forgotten our first date, Sweet Thing?"

Leaving Sue no time to answer, Bobby walked by them both, grinning like the Cheshire cat. "Aren't they cute, uh?" he asked Tara, pointing his thumb in Jack's direction.

"We still have to put up with this for a whole week?" Myles asked, hanging his beige coat on the clothes-peg. "This undercover operation better be worth it."

Dimitrius entered the bullpen and patted the blond agent on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Myles. With a little help from our friends in Las Vegas, Jack and Sue should be able to prove that Steve Pearson has a very personal way of changing the face value of a dollar bill…"

Tara chimed in. "According to our intel, Pearson has a soft spot for newlyweds. He considers them easy prey. Their cover story worked well in the past, and Garrett thought it'd be a good idea to use it again."

Jack walked by Sue and hugged her with one arm, facing the group. "So my wife and I are spending our honeymoon in Sin City, with the intention of spending a fair amount of money in Pearson's hotel and casino resort."

Sue raised her head, just like she'd suddenly remembered something. "Lucy, Pearson's hotel is not animal-friendly, no matter how hard we've tried. Will you take care of Levi for a few days?"

"Of course," she replied with a smile, scratching the dog on the top of his head. "It's going to be you and me, buddy."

Approaching from behind, Bobby draped his arms over Jack and Sue's shoulders and leaned in to whisper into his friend's ear. "And remember, Jack. This is just another _undercover_ investigation…"

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	2. Chapter 2

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Stepping out of the taxicab, Sue stared at all the lights surrounding her. "This is amazing!" Fanning a tourism guide in front of her face, she let out a deep breath. "This doesn't feel like December. It's warmer than D.C. in August." 

"Well," Jack replied, taking care of their luggage, "that's why I miss Wisconsin so much at this time of year. I'd give anything for some snow and a decorated tree. It must be weird to see a Christmas tree in the middle of the desert, though. But like they say, in Las Vegas, everything is illusion."

As they entered the hotel, the odour of coconut, mixed with apples and spices, enveloped them. In the lobby, there was a tall palm tree decorated with little silver bells and Santa Clauses dressed as Californian surfers. So much for Christmas tradition.

"Mr. and Ms. Hudson, I assume?" the receptionist welcomed them. "Thank you for choosing Pearson's hotel and casino resort. Your travel agent told us this was your honeymoon, so I really hope you will enjoy the room we've reserved for you. Between you and me," she added almost in a whisper, leaning closer on her counter, "most newlyweds don't even want to leave their room once they get in."

Absolutely not interested by the young woman's babble, Sue simply hooked her arm under Jack's, and gazed around her, studying the lobby. The term 'resort' was not really appropriate for this place, but at least it looked clean and tidy. Aside from the main door, where they came from, there were five other doors accessible from the lobby. Apparently one for the rooms, another for the casino, a third one for the restaurant and the fourth one marked 'Personnel Only.' However, the fifth door was partially hidden behind the palm tree, and instead of a magnetic card reader, there was a numeric pad to activate the lock.

Before she could go any further in her investigation, she felt Jack's arm around her waist and he pivoted her toward him. A second later, his lips landed on hers in a sweet kiss, and after the initial shock passed, she reacted the way a newlywed wife would, kissing him back with apparent passion. At least, she hoped it looked as passionate as it felt.

When they parted, she observed him as he cleared his throat, and she noticed the deliberate, yet unsteady circular motion Jack made with his fist over his chest. To untrained eyes, he simply looked like he was coughing, but she knew better than that.

"Wow, Honey, what was that for?" she asked him, unconsciously licking and biting her lower lip.

For a split second, his eyes grew wider, but he rapidly regained control. "Do I really need an excuse to kiss my lovely wife?"

"Well, let me think about it," Sue replied, a mock pensive expression on her face. Then she wrapped one arm around his waist, pulled him a little closer, and rested her head on his shoulder. She faced the receptionist and cupped her hand on the side of her mouth, keeping Jack out from the confidence. "Between you and me, he can be very convincing, when he wants to be. I can't wait to get into our room, to listen to his argument."

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	3. Chapter 3

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**When they stepped into the empty elevator, Jack faced Sue and, once again, drew a circle over his chest with his fist. "I'm sorry." 

She leaned against the railing on the wall, putting an imperceptible distance between them. "What happened?" she asked, concerned.

Jack put his hands deep in his pockets, tilting his head to the side. "The receptionist showed me the mistletoe hanging over our heads. It's the tradition. It would have been suspicious for me not to kiss you…" he explained, avoiding her gaze.

When the doors opened, she exited the elevator first and tried to locate their room. "I guess we'll have to be careful with mistletoe for the rest of our mission. Room 4216, right here," she signalled, pointing at the door.

Careful to avoid any physical contact, Jack walked by Sue and opened the door. A horrified expression immediately spread on their faces when they saw the room. There was only one huge bed, with an absolutely tasteless pink and white comforter, and a heart-shaped whirlpool near the fireplace. Unfortunately, no couch in sight, and no private shower.

"What are we going to do?" Sue asked, devastated.

"I'll call room service, and ask for an extra set of sheets. I'll make up a lame excuse, like we want to sleep in front of the fireplace," he offered, looking for the phone.

She placed her hand on his elbow. "We can't do that, Jack. It'll call attention to us. This bed is twice as big as mine. I'm sure we can share it, if you promise to keep your hands to yourself… ah… I mean… uh… not that I… eh…" she stammered, blushing.

He rubbed his hands together, pensive. "You're right. We're adults, we should be able to share a bed. We're just pretending to be newlyweds… It's not like there's anything between us, right?" he said, quite unconvincingly. Almost immediately, he grabbed his luggage and started unpacking, feeling the need to busy his hands and mind with something other than the case. This was also the best excuse not to look Sue in the eyes.

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	4. Chapter 4

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**"Sweetheart, can you get the phone?" Jack mumbled in his sleep, the next morning. At the third ring, he finally grabbed his cell and answered. "Hudson." Sitting straighter in his bed, he pinched the bridge of his nose and yawned. "Dimitrius? Hey, I've never been a morning person, and the jetlag is not helping," he protested in reply to his colleague's teasing remarks. 

Now completely awake, he took his notepad on the night table and wrote down the details D gave him regarding the afternoon operation. Once the conversation was over, he flipped his phone shut and realised awkwardly that he had to wake Sue up from her peaceful sleep.

Sharing a bed with her had not been as hard as he'd thought. He had successfully kept his hands to himself, and they had been very careful to maintain a safe distance between them all night. For the first time since he turned off the lights the night before, Jack really looked at Sue while she was asleep. She was facing him, hugging her pillow tightly, and an angelic smile was gracing her features. 'Maybe I can just wait until she wakes up,' he thought, but rapidly pushed the idea aside.

Hesitantly, he laid his hand on her shoulder and shook her delicately. She stirred slowly and opened her eyes. The corner of his mouth twitched up in a cute grin. "Hello, Sleeping Beauty."

"Good morning, Jack," she replied with her still-groggy voice. "Isn't it a bit early for endearments?"

"Well, I just stated the obvious… You had a good night?" he asked, in a miserable diversion tactic.

Sue looked a bit embarrassed. "Actually, yes. I fell asleep the minute my head hit the pillow. Now, since you woke me up this early in the morning, I guess you have new information for our mission," she suggested.

"You're right. D just called. He and Bobby will be in Vegas this afternoon. One of the agents here, John Durham, has infiltrated Pearson's private circle, and he's been hired as a roulette croupier in his casino. The plan is: we spend quite some time in the casino, using Uncle Sam's money, and Durham will invite us to his table. Apparently, newlyweds are very lucky in this place, and by the end of the day, we should have enough proofs to convict Pearson for forgery."

"That sounds like a plan. Now, only one question remains," she said, with a conspiratorial smile. "What would Sue Hudson wear for her first visit in a casino?"

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	5. Chapter 5

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Thanks to everyone for your feedback, it's always extremely appreciated.

Now, here goes the story...

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Jack and Sue had been wandering around the casino for two hours. They had tried almost all kinds of slot machines, and had tested their luck at poker and blackjack tables. They had lost a lot more money than they'd won, but according to Einstein's theory, everything was relative. $300 was a lot for a newlywed couple on their honeymoon, but it was almost nothing for the high-stakes player Bobby had pretended to be, months ago.

They had checked almost every square foot of the gaming area, attentive to the faces around them, the pictures of Pearson's associates fresh in mind. Unfortunately, they hadn't recognised anyone yet. True to their cover story, they walked side by side, and most of the time, Jack had his arm draped loosely around Sue's waist. Once in a while, they would hug, or Sue would lay her head on his shoulder, mostly to share important information with Jack about what she'd read on other people's lips.

It felt a bit unsettling for her to have both her hands free. Normally, she would have been holding Levi's leash, but her faithful companion had had to stay home. On one occasion, she had noticed that Jack had laced his fingers with hers, probably unconsciously, and he was stroking her knuckles softly with his thumb – until his gaze locked with Bobby's. Sue observed their Aussie friend as he blinked twice and smiled. Jack immediately released her hand and coughed nervously, before pretending to look for something important in his wallet. And once again, she had the use of both her hands to play nervously with her 'wedding ring.'

There was definitely something going on between Jack and Bobby. Sue had never seen her 'husband' so tense, and despite their awkward situation, she suspected it wasn't due to their cover story. They decided to take an early lunch at a restaurant down the street, to make sure they would be back at the hotel around 1:30. Then they headed straight into the casino, both eager to play with money that wasn't theirs, even though they knew they wouldn't be allowed to keep any of their winnings – if there were any.

Dimitrius was already in position. He was sitting in the lounge, his eyes apparently focused on numbers flashing on the Keno board. This game was the perfect excuse to point his pen-camera in every direction, allowing whoever was in front of the computer screen to recognise the players and employees.

Bobby arrived around 2:40, while Jack and Sue were playing slot machines. He walked straight past them, and made no contact whatsoever. He stopped by the bar, ordering a fancy drink, and placed a few $25 chips on several tables, before setting his choice on the roulette. On his first try, he won four times his bet, so he sat down and continued playing.

Forty minutes later, the 'newlyweds' walked by the same table, and the croupier – John Durham – invited them to sit down. Sue took the proffered seat, and Jack stood behind her, his hands resting on the back of her chair. Beside Bobby, there were two other players at the table, but since none of them fit the profile of Pearson's associates, they were probably simple clients of the casino.

Something was wrong. Every time Sue would turn around to ask Jack which number would be the lucky one, she'd find him stealing glances at Bobby. He had this disapproving look on his face, which would only get worse when the sums on the table increased. Once in a while, she would lay her hand on his, and squeeze it softly, trying to reassure him, but he could barely detach his gaze from his friend.

So far, they had been quite lucky. Sue usually placed her chips on safe bets, selecting four or six numbers at once. It didn't pay much, but at least it allowed them to play for a longer period without running out of cash – Uncle Sam was generous, but his charity had limits. Feeling a bit more comfortable with the roulette, Sue finally decided to play a few extra chips in full on her lucky number, the 13. To her utmost astonishment, the ivory bead fell right onto that number. Immediately, she jumped out of her seat and hugged Jack, instinctively placing a passionate kiss right on his lips.

Before he had time to react, she took a step back and looked at the numerous chips Durham had placed in front of her. With a trembling hand, she collected her gains – over $3000. The players around them seemed happy for the 'lovely couple.' However, looking at the smug grin on Bobby's face, she realised what she had just done. He would never let them live this down.

"Honey, I think we should stop now," Sue suggested, placing the chips in neat piles of ten to count them more easily. She wanted to get out of there as soon as possible, before Bobby could say something stupid about what had just happened.

"You sure?"

She placed the chips in a small plastic bucket. "Actually, no. But why don't we go back to our room, and see what we can do with all this money?"

"You're a smart woman – that's what I love about you," Jack replied, but looked away the moment he finished his sentence. Placing his arm around her waist, he led her to the cashier, avoiding Dimitrius and Bobby's understanding smiles on his way out.

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	6. Chapter 6

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A few more chapters to go...

Don't worry, the story is finished... You'll be able to read the end of the story soon enough.

One post every few days, and everyone enjoys the story! Thanks for staying around!

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"Jack, what's going on?"

The FBI agent was sitting at the foot of the bed, staring at the fireplace without really seeing it. He was so preoccupied that he sighed instead of answering Sue's question. Concern clearly visible on her face, she squatted in front of him and placed a hand over his knee.

"Jack, is there anything I should be aware of, about Bobby? You kept looking at him while we were at the casino."

He knew he had to say something. He'd almost blown their cover story by checking up on Bobby more than necessary. But he couldn't help it – Crash in a casino was not a good idea, even though he was playing at a table supervised by a local FBI agent.

He finally looked at her, so she could read his lips, and he emphasised some words with the appropriate signs. "I wish I could tell you everything, but you remember, some time ago, when you were worried for a friend, because you knew something and couldn't tell anyone?" When she nodded, he continued. "Well, it's the same thing for me right now. Thanks for your concern – it is really appreciated."

With a half-smile, he squeezed her arm delicately and got up to retrieve the money from the night table. Their little afternoon at the casino had earned them exactly $3240. After a close scrutiny, they realised that one bill out of five was forged, most of them $20 bills. The imitation was almost perfect, except for barely perceptible flaws in the background. Most people wouldn't see the difference, but the eyes of two trained FBI agents couldn't be fooled.

"That's it; we have him!" Sue said, triumphantly.

"Unfortunately, not yet. We can't lift fingerprints from paper, and even if we could, it would only say that Pearson touched the bills. His lawyers will argue that he didn't know the money was fake, and that he never intended to fool his clients. Our only chance is to send the bills to the lab, and maybe they'll get lucky," Jack explained. Laying his back on the bed, he stretched his arms over his head and yawned. "So, what are we doing tonight?"

Sue pressed her lips together and moved them into the smirk Jack had come to love. "I don't know for tonight, but I've got ideas for tomorrow, though." With sparkles in her eyes, she pointed at something on the night table, and couldn't help but laugh when his eyes grew wide in horror.

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	7. Chapter 7

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Sue woke up with a start in the middle of the night, disoriented. With her senses slowly coming back to her, she noticed it was way past midnight, and the comfortable pillow her head was resting on was nothing else than Jack's shoulder. 

Becoming conscious of their awkward situation, she realised that not only was she leaning on him, but he had his arm draped around her shoulders. Trying to figure out how they had ended up in that position, she remembered the events of the evening.

After Jack had recovered from her proposition, they'd decided to stay in their room for a quiet night. December being a very busy month for the FBI, because of all the weirdoes who committed stupid crimes around D.C., they hadn't spent a lot of time together lately, and they'd thought that being stuck in the same room for a whole evening was the perfect occasion to catch up.

Seeing Jack fish out a pill from a bottle in his suitcase, Sue had shivered as she remembered that night, when he could have died only a few feet away from her. Without Levi, she would have never known, and she felt guilty for not having recognised the signs. He must have seen the worried look on her face, because he told her about his last visit to the cardiologist, only a month ago. Even though he was still technically at risk, with daily medication he would be able to participate in the next FBI inter-departmental football game, and make sure the trophy would stay in their office.

After that, they had discussed their respective plans for the holidays. For the first time ever since they'd met, both Sue's and Jack's parents would be in D.C. for New Year's Eve. Donna had invited everyone over for a big dinner on the 31st, and other than that, the party schedule was quite relaxed. Except for the last Friday before Christmas, when Tara and Lucy had planned a party for the whole team. Since none of the guys wanted to take care of the organisation, and Sue didn't have any time left with her undercover investigation, the girls were to plan the whole thing out, from the theme to the music, including the usually silly games and gifts. The idea did nothing to ease Sue's and Jack's concern, after spending a week undercover together…

The last thing Sue remembered was reading one of the books she had brought with her, while Jack was working on his laptop computer. They were both sitting on the bed, comfortably minding their own business, and she had probably fallen asleep. Now completely awake, she straightened in the bed, and felt some movement beside her. Jack was rubbing his palms over his face, his tousled hair indicating he'd been sleeping too. "I guess it's bedtime now," he offered sheepishly, stifling a yawn.

Sue grabbed the book that was still on her lap and headed for the bathroom, to splash some cold water on her face and change into something more comfortable for the rest of the night. Not completely certain of what had happened exactly, she returned to the main room, only to find Jack back in dreamland, his computer now securely stowed in its case.

'_I'll figure it out tomorrow_,' she thought as she slipped between the sheets, careful to stay on her side of the bed.

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	8. Chapter 8

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"Ladies and gentlemen, I will ask everyone in this room to stay extremely quiet during the next presentation – it requires a lot of concentration. Mr. Hudson, are you ready?" a pretty lady dressed in a form-fitting Lycra suit questioned the special agent. 

Jack shot a deadly glare at the supposed friend who had invited him to this show, only to see her smile in return. He hated magicians. When he was eight, a magician had pulled a rabbit out of his hat, and the animal had bitten Jack, almost running away with a piece of his finger. Ever since then, he had made sure to avoid them – both magicians and rabbits, except for the doll Levi loved to tear into pieces.

When Sue had suggested that show the night before, he had tried to persuade her otherwise, but what were the chances for a grown man – an FBI agent, no less – to convince someone that he was afraid of illusionists? For Jack, right next to the _map-o-phobia_ gene was the _I-can't-resist-any-of-Sue's-demands_ structural gene; so there were no ways for him to deny her request. Just to make things worse, in a crowd of a couple hundred people, the magician had chosen _him_ to be her personal assistant.

So here he was, standing on the stage, staring at Sue, who was enjoying the show from her safe seat in the third row. The magician placed a silky blindfold over his eyes and pushed him gently into a tall – but narrow – Plexiglas box before she latched the door shut. According to her explanations, he was supposed to disappear when a first bolt of lightning would "hit" the box, and reappear somewhere else in the auditorium when a second lightning bolt would strike.

Jack didn't really see the lightning, but he did hear the thunder sound effect that reverberated through the room. He also perceived many "ooohs" and "aaaahs" from the audience after he felt himself pulled from behind and guided somewhere he presumed to be backstage. When he heard the second rumbling, though, Jack felt that something was wrong. First of all, it had sounded more like an explosion than thunder, and the crowd hadn't reacted as expected.

Almost immediately, an alarm went off, and sprinklers started pouring water all over the theatre. Jack yanked off his blindfold and tried to figure out what had happened. A velvet curtain hiding the front section of the stage was on fire, and despite the efforts of a few technicians with extinguishers, the room was rapidly filling up with smoke. The magician was lying on the stage, apparently unconscious. Two people were already taking care of her, and a third person was running toward them with a first aid kit. With trained eyes, he noticed the security guards at all three emergency exits, encouraging everyone to evacuate as fast as possible. Because of the limited visibility, they were using old-fashioned megaphones to guide the spectators to a safer place.

A sickening feeling settled in Jack's stomach when he realised that Sue couldn't hear the instructions. He jumped over the first two rows of seats and staggered to where she'd been sitting the last time he'd seen her, only to find her place empty. The sprinklers were now doing a fair job at dissipating the smoke, and he caught a glimpse of her blond hair a few meters farther. She was curled up on a chair, looking in the opposite direction. He kneeled in front of her, and touched her leg. "Sue?"

She almost jumped out of her skin. "Jack, is that you?"

He took the seat next to hers to make sure she could read his lips through the smoky cloud. "Of course. Are you okay?"

"Is that you, Jack?" She extended her hand in front of her, feeling the space between them. "The light from the explosion blinded me – I can't see you!"

Jack's head started spinning. '_Sue can't hear a thing_,' he thought. '_She needs her eyes to read lips, and now she's blind. Even her blackberry is useless. How am I supposed to do this?_'

"Jack?!?"

Her panicked voice forced him into action. He took both her hands in his and squeezed them gently. _'Please, make sure she understands what I'm doing,'_ he prayed, placing her palms over his fingers. "You O-K?" he asked her, signing into her hands.

"Jack!" She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him. Her breathing was not exactly steady, so he just held her close, rubbing her back with soothing motions. "I'm scared, but okay," she replied as she drew back, and then paused for a moment. "You hear me, right?"

Jack couldn't help but smile. He moved his fist up and down in her hand, and continued with something more important for now. "Fire. Evacuate." Letting go of her hands, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and led her towards the nearest exit.

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	9. Chapter 9

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Thanks for your feedback!

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Jack guided Sue to one of the couches in the main lobby. At least, she presumed it was the lobby, as she had just recognised the smell of coconut mixed with apples and spices; but who knew for sure where she was exactly. Jack helped her to sit down, and she felt him crouch in front of her.

"Sure? You O-K?" he signed.

"I already told you so. But are _you_ all right?" she asked him in return.

He held her hands delicately for a moment, and answered. "Yes." His fingers fumbled something unintelligible, and he finally spelled it out. "P-A-R-A-M-E-D-I-C-S. Be right back."

The moment she lost contact with his fingers, Sue felt like she had lost contact with the whole world. There were days she hated being deaf: when she saw everybody smiling at a song on the radio, when she was alone in a throng of people she didn't know, or when she was caught in a power outage with no emergency lights nearby. But today, even a flashlight wouldn't help her. She was in her own universe, a universe of silence and blackness. Actually, it was more like a collection of blue, grey, purple and black spots, but the result was the same – she couldn't see the person in front of her.

She knew there were a lot of people around her – she could sense vibrations emanating from the wooden floor and feel the breezes as they walked by her – but she was alone. The worst kind of solitude: alone in a crowd. Without Jack, she couldn't communicate with the outside world. Actually, she was luckier than most of her deaf friends, because she could speak. But what good was speech when she couldn't understand the answers? True, she could play "20-questions." '_I say something, you squeeze my hand once for "no," and twice for "yes,"_' she imagined. But she had always hated that game.

With Jack, it was so easy. Most times, they didn't even need to talk or sign; a simple look and they would understand each other. '_Tonight, he's the one who has found a way to talk to me_,' she mused, the hint of a smile gracing her lips.

A light tap on her shoulder brought her back to the cruel reality. She had recognised Jack's unmistakable touch, but there was a third hand touching her forearm. "D-E-L-A-Y sorry," Jack signed. "P-A-R-A-M-E-D-I-C-S here. Please, open eyes."

She had not even realised she had kept her eyes closed ever since he had left. Slowly, she cracked one eye open, then the other. Instead of the dark-coloured dots she had seen earlier, she was now able to distinguish Jack's silhouette out of a foggy blur. "Good to see you again, Jack."

She saw him lower his head and, from the slump in his shoulders, take a deep breath. When he faced her again, she realised he might be talking to her. "Please, slow down," she pleaded, raising her hands in surrender. "It's still too blurry to see your lips. But if you sign normally, I should be able to understand."

She was grateful for his dark sweater, since it made it easier for her to discern his hands as they moved. He explained to her that the paramedics wanted to check her eyes, but since her vision was coming back to normal, she could decide to go to her own doctor instead. She noticed that he looked sideways, then leaned in a bit closer. "They don't understand ASL," he signed discreetly. "Please, read signs, not lips."

She nodded fractionally, and deciphered what he wanted her to understand. "You want me call D or B-O-B-B-Y? They still in L-V."

"It's okay, Jack," she replied, shaking her head 'no'. "I'd rather go back to my… uh… our room. We could check that out tomorrow, but tonight, all I need is a good night sleep."

As she rose from the couch, he stepped next to her and wrapped his arm around her waist, holding her close. Surprised by his chivalry, but pleased nonetheless, she remembered their cover story. Jack was a loving husband who cared for his wife – it was normal for him to be overprotective after what had just happened. '_No matter what happens, the show must go on_,' she thought. Back into her own role, Sue rested her head on his shoulder, and let him guide her through the crowded hall.

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	10. Chapter 10

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Jack led Sue to their king-size bed, extending her own hand in front of her, to feel the mattress. Once she sat down, he removed her shoes one by one, swung her feet onto the bed, and pulled the ugly comforter over her legs, before he fluffed the pillows at her back. "Comfortable?" he signed, taking a seat on his side of the bed. 

"Very, thank you," she signed in return. "You know, I can read your lips just fine now. My vision is getting better," she explained, placing a strand of hair back behind her ear.

The shiver that ran through her body didn't go unnoticed by Jack. "You don't seem fine to me."

"I really am – now. I got scared in that theatre, when I saw the explosion. All I remember is a white flash, and all turned black. I tried to leave, but I bumped into people going in different directions, so I just sat down and prayed. I guess God heard my prayers, because you are safe, and my eyesight is almost back to 100."

He softly squeezed her fingers in acknowledgement and smiled. Lost in his own lines of thoughts, reminiscing over the events of the afternoon, he hadn't realised how much time had passed until Sue spoke up again.

"You know, Jack, you don't have to do this. I seriously doubt that Pearson has hidden cameras in a newlywed suite."

"What do you mean?" He looked at her, completely confused. Pearson was suspected for money laundering, not for the use of explicit material – why would he plant cameras in his hotel rooms?

"Your hand… Your arm around my shoulder… Nobody is looking at us – you don't have to pretend to be the caring husband anymore."

Their gazes locked for a moment, and Jack noticed something sad in her eyes. He had not even realised he was still holding her hand, stroking her knuckles with his thumb, and that his arm was draped around her shoulders, holding her unconsciously close to him. He tilted his head, to make sure she could read his lips perfectly. "I'm not pretending – it just felt… right," he replied, saying the first thing his mind could think of.

He didn't want to pull away; he liked being close to her. It took a few seconds for his brain to process the information, but he realised that she had made no attempts to back off either. They had just stopped moving, waiting for the other to do something.

Sue's gaze had slipped from his eyes to his lips, waiting for him to say something. When his eyes drifted south too, his heart skipped a beat when he noticed she was biting her lower lip, probably without even knowing it. Unable to hold back anymore, he slowly leaned in, giving her enough time to pull back – if she wanted to. She tensed when his mouth made contact with hers, but she rapidly relaxed in his embrace. The kiss was soft and sweet. The last time he had really caressed those beautiful lips, it had been a response to a critical situation, when Janice had caught them in her boss' office. This time was so different – he wasn't putting up a show, he simply wanted to indulge in the moment. However, Jack pulled back before the passion could prevent any coherent thoughts.

"And just for the record, this had nothing to do with our cover story," he stated with a wink, unable to erase the cocky smile from his face.

Sue swatted him on the arm, her cheeks flushed. Shifting in his loose embrace, she snuggled closer and rested her head on his shoulder. Her contented sigh was all Jack needed to know she was okay with what had just happened.

Despite his very calm demeanour, Jack felt like a young teenager who had kissed a girl for the first time in his life. His heart was doing flip-flops, the adrenaline was running high, but most of all, he was grinning from ear to ear, and there was nothing that could dampen this feeling.

Unfortunately, an annoying ringing brought a part of his brain back to reality. As he grabbed his cell phone, he checked the caller ID. "Jack."

"("Hey, mate, are you okay?")" Bobby's intonation was worried. "("LVPD just called – they say there was an explosion at the theatre, at Pearson's place. Apparently, it was an accident, but maybe you've seen something…")"

Jack didn't feel like telling the whole story just yet, but he thought that making some fun of his friend would do no harm. "Thanks for the concern, Bobby, but everything is fine here. Personally, I haven't seen anything, but I'll check with Sue, she's right beside me." He placed his hand loosely over the mike piece of the phone, and faced her. "Sue, have you heard anything about an explosion at the theatre today?"

She cocked her head to the side, searching into his eyes, and her lips twitched into a smirk. She tried to swat him again, on the thigh this time, but he caught her hand and entwined his fingers with hers. He was glad she had caught his choice of words.

"Sorry, Bobby, she didn't hear a thing either. By the way, are you and D still going back to D.C. tomorrow? Sue and I will stay here a couple more days, to gather more evidence against Pearson, but don't worry, we're doing great. Bye."

As he flipped the phone shut, he acknowledged the shadow that had passed over Sue's face. "Are you okay?"

She stared at their joined hands. "I just realised that we'll soon be going back to D.C., and with the 'no dating' policy…" She trailed off.

The thought had crossed his mind too, but he didn't want to mull it over just yet. "Trust me, we'll cross the bridge when we'll get there. We have another play date with Durham tomorrow afternoon, where we should win some more money, but besides that, our schedule is quite clear. Want to explore some of Vegas's most famous attractions?"

"And what would they be?" she asked, with mock apprehension.

"Cirque du Soleil shows, gondolas at the Venetian, real casinos, five-star restaurants, drive-thru chapels…"

"You know, the team would probably kill us for doing that," she rationalised as she wiggled her fingers in his hand.

"It'd be worth it," Jack replied, kissing her softly.

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	11. Chapter 11

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**o O o**

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Thank you everyone for your kind reviews. Please, keep them coming.

Once again, it was a great adventure, and believe me, I had a lot of fun writing this story, specially this chapter.

I will probably be back with another story some day, but it might take a while. Why don't you visit my profile, and check my other stories until then?

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**o O o**

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"Levi, what's up, big boy?" Lucy asked when the dog, who had been sleeping quietly one minute before, started barking. 

"Maybe he missed me as much as I missed him," Sue said, as she entered the bullpen. Levi immediately ran to her feet, and she petted him affectionately.

"Sue. Jack. Glad to see you back – in one piece, might I add," Dimitrius welcomed them, with a pat on Jack's shoulder.

A few minutes later, Sue was retelling her colleagues what had really happened in the theatre, giving some more details of what she remembered from the explosion, when she noticed that Jack was squinting and grimacing slightly. Before she could ask him why, Lucy grabbed her left hand and pointed at one of her fingers. "That's not the ring you had when you left!"

"Euh…" was all she could pronounce, as she glanced at Jack, who shrugged sympathetically.

Tara took her hand from Luce's grip and checked the ring more closely with a smile, while Jack made another face. "Definitely not standard FBI issue. There's no way Randy approved that expense report."

"You know, sheilas, your squeals could be considered as very dangerous weapons," Bobby commented, rubbing his ear.

"Jack gave me that ring when we were in Vegas," she said, only to regret her choice of words the moment she pronounced them. "Uh… I mean… That's not what you think…" she stuttered, trying to do some damage control.

"Good choice, mate, after the kiss you two shared at the casino," Bobby chimed in.

Seeing the grimace on the men's faces, Sue was almost happy to be deaf. "The KISS?" both Tara and Lucy shrieked.

"She… _She_ kissed me," Jack tried to clarify.

"It's not like you tried to stop her," D commented, the corner of his mouth twitching up.

Myles stepped up, staring alternately at Jack and Sue. "So, is the Hudson undercover duo finally a legal couple?"

"We're not… we're not married," Jack answered, dodging the underlying question.

Sue noticed that Tara had moved back behind her desk, and she was now waving to get everyone's attention, saving Jack from further questioning. "Just got an email from the Bureau in Las Vegas. They convicted Steve Pearson for money laundering. The lab found some of his DNA on a few bills, _under_ the forged ink, so there was no way his lawyer could pretend he wasn't part of the operation. They also retrieved high quality printers from one of the rooms at the hotel, and more forged money in a safe, accessible from the lobby. Great work, folks!" Lifting a finger in the air, she faced the others once again, like she had forgotten something. "Oh, by the way, the explosion was indeed just a pyrotechnical accident, so there were no attempts on federal agents."

Sue was glad they were not the center of attraction anymore, until Bobby spotted something on his friend's collar. "Care to explain where this hickey came from, Sparky?" he asked, with a dimpled grin.

The shade of crimson on Jack's face must have matched her own, as she felt her cheeks burning. He stared at her with his eyes wide open, dumbfounded, and she leaned in to check the mark she had left on his neck. However, there was nothing to be seen.

Taking a step back, Sue sighed when she realised what had just happened. They'd been had like beginners. Everyone was laughing, even Myles. Bobby pointed an accusatory finger at her, smiling from ear to ear. "Gotcha!"

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**The End...**

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